1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to wiring methodology and an inter-connecting apparatus for manufacturing electrical wire harnesses and, more specifically, it relates to a system in which universal termination modules can be employed to mate and interact with a wide variety of commercially available wire harness connectors.
2. Description of Related Art
The task of arranging electrical and physical connections between a test system and a wire harness is made more complicated by the very large number of different types of connectors used in the industry to make harnesses. The expense of making multiple terminators rules out the use of such technology on short production runs, since the cost of the terminators may be greater than the benefit incurred. Generally, heretofore, mating test connectors had to be hand wired and tied to the appropriate locations. Attempts have been made to improve on this interface problem. See, for example, my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,385 which describes a method by which standard cables can be plugged into modules which permits an active interface between the harness being assembled and the test system. By plugging different modules into the test system, different wire harnesses can be assembled and tested. See also my previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,025.
One problem incurred with this approach is the expense involved because of the large number of termination modules required for each different type of harness to be assembled. There are potentially thousands of different kinds of termination connectors presently available in the marketplace and most wiring houses have to deal with, perhaps 600-800, of such connectors routinely. Accordingly, a universal termination module that could be employed with a wide variety of different connector manufacturers series of connectors would be a major step forward. It would reduce the labor involved in manufacturing wire harnesses and, of course, the related cost.
The prior art does not appear to disclose a practical universal terminator that can be employed for the purposes above described. In that regard note, for example, the possibly relevant teachings in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,407,480; 3,769,701; 4,920,636; and, 4,921,435. U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,544 entitled UNIVERSAL WIRE FORM BOARD ASSEMBLY is also of possible relevance in that it touches upon the concept of universality. It deals, however, more with the details of the physical wire routing and/or the bending of wires to form a harness rather than the issue of multi-connector, universal terminators.
Insofar as the prior art is understood and identifiable, there appears to be no teaching or suggestion of a practical universal harness terminator module that can be used with a wide variety of different wire harness cable connectors.